Home comforts

If you happened to be among the 561 faithful women’s basketball fans at the Stott Center on Wednesday night–Thanksgiving Eve–then you were treated to an uncommon sight: a scoreboard testifying to a 72-56 Viking home victory over cross-town rival University of Portland.

The last time such a sight was seen, a different George Bush was president, Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was new on the radio and the Chicago Bulls had just won their first NBA Championship.

Not since the first game of the 1991-92 season had the Vikings managed to defeat the Pilots in the Stott Center, though heading into Wednesday’s game Portland State held a 22-18 overall advantage in the series.

“Kelsey [Kahle] said in the locker room before the game that they’d never beaten [Portland] at home,” said head coach Sherri Murrell. “I didn’t know it had been 17 years. Knowing that, it’s good to get the win.”

The victory, though long in the making, was anything but secure after the first half of play. In the first 20 minutes of action, the visiting Pilots bullied the Vikings on the boards, grabbing 19 rebounds to Portland State’s 10.

Rallying behind veteran leaders in junior guard Claire Faucher and Kahle, senior forward, the Vikings pressured the Pilots on defense and forced 16 turnovers in the first half.

Their defensive tenacity gave the Vikings plenty of offensive possessions, but they struggled to find a rhythm and headed into the break with just a slim three-point lead.

“We had a real problem of standing around out there on offense,” Murrell said. “When we get into the flow, we play our game and score points. But we get in trouble when we are stagnant.”

The Vikings responded to their first-half offensive sluggishness by pushing the ball harder down the court, opening up opportunities for quick transition baskets. They continued to hound the Pilots on the defensive end, swiping a total of 14 steals on the night, including six for Faucher.

One of Portland State’s most dangerous offensive threats, Kahle, also had a huge night, collecting 22 points on 8-10 shooting.

The veteran forward, who leads the Vikings in scoring with an average of 16.3 points per game, collaborated with Faucher for a series of dazzling plays that helped push the game out of reach for the overmatched Pilots.

The dynamic duo was perfectly in sync throughout the game, with Faucher finding Kahle on numerous full-court breaks that broke the back of their opponents.

“They really key off of each other,” Murrell said. “When Kelsey runs, she knows Claire is going to get it to her. They never second guess one another.”

Portland State’s cause was also helped by strong performances from sophomore forward Kelli Valentine, who tallied 16 points and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds, and freshman guard Eryn Jones and sophomore forward Lexi Bishop, who both made big contributions coming off the bench.

The game represented Portland State’s second home victory of the season, bringing their home record over the past two seasons to 15-1. Their lone loss was suffered on March 6, when the Vikings fell to the Montana State Bobcats, 70-74.

The Vikings return home to host Seattle at the Stott Center this Friday, Dec. 5.